County’s only stoplight could be gone by summer’s end

by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor

The future of Presque Isle County’s only traffic light could be known later this summer during the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) 90 to 120 day study at the intersection of Third and Erie.

Following a meeting that was conducted with the city May 14, MDOT officials are now moving forward with a temporary change that will take Presque Isle County’s only traffic control signal to an all blinking red mode, meaning vehicles in all directions will have to stop at the intersection.

According to Steve Conradson, traffic and safety engineer from Alpena’s MDOT office, it will be changed Wednesday, June 11.

Conradson visited the site Tuesday to mark the locations of the temporary signs with a measuring walking wheel and a spray can. Some signs will be mounted to the new black street poles. MDOT will be providing the signs, he said.

Conradson said posts may need to go in the ground. Additional “stop ahead” signs are coming too.

“The final decision has no

t been made, this is the test period,” said Conradson.  Once the study period is over, “Then we’ll see how traffic reacts and see if we have an increase in crashes or not.”

MDOT has been looking at the light since back in 2007 as part of MDOT’s optimization plan. It revealed that the light was no longer meeting the volume requirements.

Along with the study downtown, there is going to be some major resurfacing work going on from St. Ignatius Catholic Church to U.S.-23 at West Third Street, along with Erie to 23.

Bowen Asphalt and Paving of East Tawas received the bid on the project.

“That project was put together rather quickly,” said Kevin Schaedig, Alpena MDOT’s development engineer. “There will be some minor joint repair and redoing of all the ramps to meet American Disabilities Act standards.”